Vending-machine.



P. VARIA.

VENDING MACHINE.

' APPLICATION FILED MAR. 22, 1913.

Patented Apr. 7, 1914.

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P. VARIA.

VENDING MACHINE. APPLICATION FILED 11,511.22, 1913-.

Patented Apr. 7, 1 914.

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PIETRO VARIA, OF WHITE PLAINS, NEW YORK.

VENDING-MACHINE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed March 22, 1913.

Patented Apr. 7, 1914.

Serial No. 756,203.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, PIETRO VARIA, a subj ect of the King of Italy, residing at White Plains, in the county of l/Vestchester and State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Vending- Machines, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to vending machines and resides in certain improvements in the coin-controlled mechanism for ejecting the purchased article from the magazine as well as in certain improvements in the delivery plate upon which the article is pushed out to permit its removal by the purchaser.

Broadly stated the invention comprises a slidable member carrying one or more ejector plungers any one of which may be.

lifted into operative relation with the lowermost package in a corresponding magazine by a coin inserted through a corresponding slot, the coin being so inserted that its edge engages the ejector, lifts it until it rests upon the delivery plate and then falls clear allowing the discharge plate to retain the plunger throughout the balance of its stroke. The delivery plate permits the ejector plate to drop so soon as it shall have moved far enough on its return stroke to engage another package. The lowermost package is forced out by the ejector plunger from a shelf whose length is less than the length of the package so that the package projects at each end beyond the shelf and may be re moved by the customer without the necessity of touching or handling the shelf upon which the article is delivered. This feature is particularly desirable in the sale of packages of candy, chewing gum and the like.

I show my invention as embodied in a machine for vending small packages of chewing gum, in the accompanying drawings, in which:

Figure 1 is a vertical section of the complete machine; Fig. 2 is a fragmentary view similar to a portion of Fig. 1 showing the ejector lifted to operative position by a coin; and also showing in dotted lines the limiting forward position of the slide and ejectors; Fig. 3 is a section on the line 83 of Fig. 1, looking downward; Fig. 4 is a front elevation of the lower portion of the machine showing the delivery plates; and Fig. 5 is a perspective view of the slide having two ejectors.

1 represents the casing of the machine divided by a horizontal partition 2, into a lower portion 3 serving as a coin receiver, and an upper portion 4 in which are mounted the delivery mechanism and a plurality of magazines 5 adapted to contain stacks 6 of chewing gum or like packaged material to be delivered by the machine. The partition 2 is provided with suitable slots to permit the passage of coins into the coin receiver. The magazines 5 are carried on a removable front panel 7 The stacks of gum 6 in the magazines 5 rest on the rear portion of a delivery plate 8. This plate 8 is formed with forward downwardly inclined extensions 9, one adjacent each magazine 5, the Width of the plate 9 being less than the length of the package. Each extension 9 projects forward beneath a corresponding delivery slot 10 formed in the panel 7 and having an overhanging lip 11 as clearly shown in the drawings. As a package of chewing gum is forced out beneath the stack 6 in its magazine 5, it moves forward onto the extension 9 and rests there with its ends projecting beyond the sides of the extension so that it may readily be grasped between the purchasers fingers and be removed without handling of the delivery plate. The for ward edge of each plate 9 is notched at the middle as shown in Fig. 3, so that the package may also be removed without touching the plate by grasping the portion of the package overhanging this notch.

The mechanism for forcing the lowermost package of gum forward on to the delivery plate 9 is carried on a slide plate 12 guided in guides 13 at each side of the case 1. This slide plate 12 is held in its rearward position by springs 14 and may be drawn forward against the action of the springs 14 by a ring 15 at the front of the machine. The slide plate 12 carries at its forward end by means of the depending rods 16, a cross bar 17 which in the rearward position of the slide serves as a coin stop to arrest a descending coin and hold it in position to operate an ejector. In the drawings two ejectors are shown as mounted on the plate 12, these consisting of horizontal plates 18 hinged at 19 to the plate 12, and having at their forward ends upward extensions which carry the ejector heads proper 21. The guides 13 confine the plate 12 to slide directly upon the top of the partition 2 previously mentioned, so that the plates 18 may not fall below their normal horizontal position. To assist the action of gravity in holding the ejectors down the hinge springs 22 are provided.

Coins to operate the machine are inserted through vertical slots 23 and thence roll down incline 24:, bet-ween guide plates 25 which pass through slots 26 in the vertical portion 20 of the ejectors, when the slide 12 is drawn forward. The guides 25 deliver the coin still in a vertical plane, to one of the slots formed in the partition 2 where it is arrested by bar 17 with its opposite edges engaging the forward edge of the plate 18 and a shoulder 27 on incline 24:. After the coin has been inserted, and has assumed the position shown in Fig. 1, ring 15 is pulled forward. Plate 18 will ride up upon the coin until the ejector head 21 rests upon the top of plate 8 as indicated in Fig. 2. Shortly thereafter the movement of bar 17 permits the coin to pass throughinto the box 3 while the continued.

movement of the slide 12 forward, results in the ejection of the lowermost package through the slot onto the corresponding extension 9 of delivery plate 8. Shortly before the completion of the rearward movement the delivery head drops down to its normal position and from then until another coin has been inserted, the forward movement of the slide 12 can have no effect because the delivery heads 21 will then merely pass beneath the plate 8 in their inoperative position.

In the machine it is to .be observed that an ejector head is provided for each magazine and a corresponding coin slot for each ejector head. All the ejector heads are moved forward together by pulling the ring 15 and only those ejector heads to which a coin has been supplied are lifted to operative position. This construction permits considerable simplification of the device by eliminating a number of parts that would otherwise be duplicated and also permits the simultaneous delivery of packages from different magazines if the necessary coin be inserted for each magazine.

'I have shown the device devoid of all fraud preventing devices because these are Well known and the combination of any of them with my particular ejecting mechanism can be easily made by any one skilled in the art.. It is also possible to vary the construction without departing from the spirit of the invention, and I do not mean machines as heretofore constructed the de livery plate was so designed that it readily accumulated dust and dirt, and so as to require the purchaser to wipe his hands over the same in his effort to secure the purchased article, By the special construction of the plate 9 I make it possible for the customer to remove the package by either of two methods, each of which avoids any necessity of handling the delivery plate, and I also secure a plate of a form less likely to accumulate dust and dirt. This class of machines is so extensively used in vending candies and chewing gum and the like, that the importance of securing a sanitary delivery mechanism cannotbe over estimated.

Having thus described the invention, what I claim is 1. The combination of'a magazine having a package supporting plate and a delivery opening adjacent thereto; a movable carrier; an ejector pivoted to said carrier and adapted normally to pass beneath but capable of being deflected to pass above said supporting plate to engage and eject packages resting thereon; a coin stop rigidly fixed" on said carrier and movable therewith; and a fixed coin guide adapted to position a coin on said stop in deflecting rela tion to said ejector before and during the initial movement of said carrier.

2. The combination of a magazine having a package supporting plate and a de livery opening adjacent thereto; a movable carrier; means adapted to maintain said carrier normally in retracted position; an ejector pivoted on said car'rier'and adapted to be deflected into operative position during the forward movement of the carrier and when so deflected to engage and ejecta package; a coin stop fixedly mounted on the carrier to move therewith; and a fixed coin guide adapted to position a coin on said stop in deflecting relation with said ejector and in a plane transverse to the pivot thereof before and during the initial outward movement of said carrier.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

PIETRO VARIA.

Witnesses:

Ismon TACHUA, IRVING WRIGHT.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents,

Washington, D. G. 

